Pan across NGC 4490

This video shows a pan across the galaxy NGC 4490. The former barred spiral galaxy got its scattered and warped appearance as the result of a past cosmic collision with another galaxy.

This collision has created patches of higher density gas and dust in the galaxy, creating perfect conditions for new stars to form. The pink pockets of light visible in the galaxy are dense clouds of ionised hydrogen, glowing as they are irradiated with ultraviolet light from nearby young, hot stars.